Crucible support



Jan. 28, 1958 E. MELTZER ETAL 2,820,999

' CRUCIBLE: SUPPORT Filed April 9., 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet -1 wir IML@

Jan. 28, 1958 E. MELTZER ETAL. 2,820,999

CRUCIBLE SUPPORT Filed April 9, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Jan 28, 1

E. MELTZER ETAL CRUCIBLE SUPPORT Filed April 9, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 INVENTORS I jg/a MeV/*26V* Arme/V57 United States Patent O CRUCIBLE SUPPORT Ezra Meltzer, White Plains, N. Y., and Andre C. Herrault, Westport, Conn., assignors to Burndy Corporation, a corporation of New York Application April 9, 1956, Serial No. 577,006

1 Claim. (Cl. 22-82) Our invention relates to a crucible support useful for removing a crucible from a furnace, for transporting the same to a mold, and for pouring the molten metal.

Presently, tongs attached to a hoist are lowered into the furnace to pick up the crucible containing the molten metal. One person guides the tongs and another manipulates the hoist. After removal from the furnace, the crucible is lowered over an apparatus with extension bars. The extension bars are positioned in the slots of a hoist and pouring device.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a crucible support that requires only a single individual for operating the same.

Further objects are to provide a support which does not require anyone to maintain the support in position as the crucible is lowered; which does not require transfer of the crucible from tongs to a support; which saves time; which will produce sounder castings by reason of less gas pickup which causes porosity; which eliminates the hazards of operation inherent in the extra manipulation of a crucible full of molten metal; and which can be made inexpensively to permit universal use in all foundries.

These and other objects of our invention are accomplished and our new results achieved as will be apparent from the device described in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a crucible with our hoist supported ring loosely positioned thereover, and positioned in a furnace, partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the crucible being transported to a mold, with our ring support and engaging lever in position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the crucible in pouring position over a mold, with the engaging lever swiveling the ring support.

Referring specifically to the drawings, reference numeral designates a typical crucible, having a pouring spout 12, and a bilge 14. In Fig. 1, the crucible is shown in a furnace 16. The crucible is carried by a typical hoist comprising the hook 18 integrally formed to a rack 20 extending through the housing 22 containing a pinion, not shown, controlled by the handle 24.

The support comprises the ring body 26 to which is mounted the movable ring section 28, hinged at 30, and locked by pin 32 passing through aperture 33 in the tongue 34 positioned in groove 36. The pin 32 is carried by arm 38 hinged at 40 to ears 42 formed on ring section 28. Thus the pin may be locked or opened by pushing or lifting the free end of the pin arm 38. By this means it is possible to slip the split ring around the crucible and lock the movable section and the body to each other, with the crucible supported therein. The inner diameter ACIC of the ring is less than the bilge diameter of the tapered side wall of the crucible to permit the crucible to be wedged therein when the ring is lifted.

Lifting the crucible and ring is accomplished by a yoke 44 which is carried by the hook 18 of the hoist, the two legs of which are rotatably supported by pins 46 extending through the U-shaped blocks 48 and 48a welded to the ring body 26. A removable txing pin 47 extending through aperture 49 in block 48a and aperture 44a in yoke 44, is provided for temporarily locking the support to the yoke to prevent accidental tilting.

A directing and pouring lever 50 is detachably atixed to the crucible supporting yoke 44 and ring body 26. It comprises a handle 52 having a normally extending U- shaped end 54 for sliding over the block 48a of the ring body. Another U-shaped arm 56 is pivotally connected by pin 58 to ears 60 iixedly secured to handle 52. The arm 56 is positioned suciently above the block 48a to engage yoke 44 directly. Thus lever 50 may be attached to body yoke 44 and ring body 26 for rigidly locking the two parts in position while directing the crucible, ring and hoist from the furnace to the mold. Thereafter, arm 56 may be pivoted out of engagement with yoke 44, as shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 2, to permit the lever 50 to tilt the ring and crucible with respect to the supporting yoke 44, as shown in Fig. 3, for pouring.

The device is operated generally, as follows:

In preparation for lowering the device into the furnace in order to remove a crucible, the locking pin 32 is removed from its holes, and the ring sections are opened to a diameter larger than the bilge diameter of the crucible. The device is then lowered with fixing pin 47 in place, over the crucible as shown in Fig. 1. When the ring is well below the bilge of the crucible, the operator puts a rod down into the furnace until it just touches ring section 28. With this rod, he pushes on ear 42 causing the ring sections to come together until locking pin 32 goes through hole 33 in tongue 34. The operator pushes the rod on top of arm 38 to make sure that the locking pin locks the parts. The ring now has a locked inside diameter smaller than the bilge diameter of the crucible.

The operator now hoists the crucible, transports it away from the immediate vicinity of the furnace, and lowers it to working height. He then places the pouring lever in place over the yoke and ring block 48a and removes the xing pin 47 from aperture 49. The crucible may now be transported to the place of pouring. For pouring, as shown n Fig. 3 and as previously described, the hinged arm 54 is pivoted away from the yoke 44. The permits the crucible to be swivelled by applying pressure to pouring lever 50.

In order to return the empty crucible to the furnace, the lever 50 is detached and the crucible and ring are lowered into the furnace with fixing pin 47 in position. A rod with a hook or bent edge is lowered into the furnace under the lock pin carrier arm 38 and the locking pin is lifted out of hole 33 in ring section Z8. The same rod is then used to push and open the ring section so that its inside diameter becomes larger than the bilge diameter of the crucible. The device is then lifted over the crucible and out of the furnace 16, leaving the crucible in place therein.

We have thus described our invention, but we desire it understood that it is not confined to the particular forms or uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of oui-invention, and, therefore, we claim broadly the right to employ all Vequivalent instrumentalities coming within4 the scope of the appended claim, and by means of which objects of our invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and accomplish these results.

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AA Crucible,-support-fcomprisi vg;.aringlfoltattachment References Cited inthe Cle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,111,561 Brown Sept. 22, 1914 1,226,653 Goldberg May 22, 1917 1,257,885 Kralund Feb. 26, 1918 1,441,340 Goldberg Jan. 9, 1923 n 1,721,660 Goldberg July 23, 1929 2,226,652 York Dec. 31, 1940 2,510,407 Mascaro June 6, 1950 OTHERAREFERENCES The Foundry, vol. 78issue No. -3page 119, March` 1950. (Copy in Library.) 

